Tag Archives: lifestyle

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Healthy aging

I don’t consider myself old, but we are all aging, aren’t we?

One of my personal irritations with our for-profit health care system—and the main reason I started this blog—is its predilection to market and sell screening tests and prescription medications of questionable value to the aging population.

Oh, my aching head!

Headaches must be one of the most common health complaints. They affect all age groups, and have any number of underlying causes. Still, most headaches are a minor annoyance at most, and go away with minimal treatment.

But judging by the amount of money spent on over-the-counter pain relievers and headache medications (about half a billion dollars a year), we must be a country in a … read on

Increased risk of breast cancer reported

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that women who have taken a certain type of medication—calcium channel blockers—for more than 10 years to treat high blood pressure are at increased risk of developing breast cancer.

The study is observational, meaning that it looked at data from a large group of women who had already been diagnosed … read on

The depression epidemic

I like to blame the pharmaceutical companies that reap the huge profits, but the relentless output of bleak news from the media sure doesn’t help. Political scandals and inertia, the economic roller coaster, global warming (or do we call it climate change?) resulting in natural disasters, terrorists, international crises, … read on

Flight delayed? Learn CPR!

For the next six months, Dallas-Fort Worth airport is hosting a trial program to teach “hands-only” CPR to travelers. An automated kiosk, developed by the American Heart Association in partnership with American Airlines, guides passengers through a simplified CPR technique using video instructions and a manikin torso. If the program is successful, it will be expanded to other airports.

How much does good health cost? Apparently less than we are spending…

The healthiest citizens, no surprise, are in the wealthier cities and states, and vice versa. And it’s not because they can afford better health insurance. Other studies have linked education and income level to better … read on